Improvement in machine-guns



J. P. TAYLOR. MACHINE-GUN. No.174,873 Patented March 14', 1876'.

WITNESSES |NVENTOR'- 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 ZSheets-SheetZ. J. P. TAYLOR. MACHINE-GUN.

INVENTO v Patented March'll, 1876.

-PETERs. PNOTO-LXTHDGRAPHER WASH NGTON D C WITNESSES.

JAMES P. TAYLOR, or ELIZABETHTON, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF HIS Er T0 JOHN BAXTER, 'oE KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

@Sfra'rfns ATENT rrcE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINE-GUNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 174,873, dated March 14,1876; application filed September 10, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES PATTON TAY- LOR, of Elizabethton, in the county of Carter and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Machine-Gun, of which the following is a specification:

The subject ofmy invention is a machinegun, with a set or series of barrels arranged in the arc of a cylinder, in combination with a revolving cam-cylinder, constructed with two grooves or flanges, one for imparting a longitudinal reciprocating movement to a series of plungers, constituting sliding locks, one for each barrel, and the other groove or flange for retracting the firing-pins, which are carried by the said locks.- The flange of the cam, which operates the sliding locks, is formed at one point with a recess, permitting the further retraction of any of the sliding looks when they are to be removed from the gun. The cartridges are fed through a hopper consisting of a series of guiding grooves or fingers and throats, one for each barrel, reciprocat in g valves in the bottom of the hopper-throats, operated by the sliding locks, serving to take the cartridges in succession from'the hopper and drop them in front of the plungers, by which they are then loaded into the barrels. The bottom and front of the feeding-hopper are made adjustable, so as to accommodate cartridges of various lengths, and especially to adapt the same gun to fire either ball-cartridges or blank cartrides, as may berequired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is in part an elevation and in part a transverse section of the working parts of a gun illustrating the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a cartridgecase partly. filled.

1 1 represent a series of barrels fixed in a breech-block, 2, from which extends backward a frame, 3, constructed in the form of a cylindrical segment, concentric with the arc in which the barrels are arranged. This frame is covered by a casin g, 4, and supports in front a hopper, 5, constructed with a back plate,

42, on the face of which are guide fingers or flanges 43, forming between each pair grooves to receive the flanges of the cartridges and conduct the latter to the throats 44 of the hopper, at the bottom ofwhich are reciprocating valves 38, formed with T-sha'ped openings 45 to receive the cartridges, which openings are in the rearmost position of the valve brought directly above openings of corresponding size and shape in the portion of the hopper-floor, which projects back of the rear plate thereof. Within the frame 3 are a series of removable longitudinal breech-bars, 7 arranged in positions parallel with the barrels, and in line with the intervals between the same, so that the spaces between the breech-bars 7 constitute slots or seats to receive and guide plungers 9, which constitute sliding locks, working in line with the respective barrels, and containing or carrying cartridgeextractors 14, firing-pins 20, spiral springs 21, collars 22, diaphragms 23, stems and lugs 24 25, for retracting the firing-pins, top plates26, for guiding the sliding looks or plungers, and lugs 30, engaging with the spiral flange or groove 19 of the cam-cylinder 8, by the rotation of which the sliding looks or plungers are advanced and retracted. The lugs 25, which retract the firing-pins, engage with a second spiral flange or groove, 53, which is formed so .as to retract the firingpins, and release them suddenly at the proper moment, to cause the discharge by the action of the spiral springs 21. 54 represents a crank attached to the shaft 55 of the revolving camcylinder, for imparting rotation thereto. The front 56 of the hopper is adjustable longitudinally, so as to vary the length of the hopperthroats to adapt them to receive either ball or blank cartridges. For the same purpose the hopper-floor 47 is adjustable longitudinally, so that the point of either ball or blank cartridges may rest upon it until the proper moment for them to drop through to their position between the throats of the plungers and the back of the barrels. The cam flange or groove 19 is formed with an off-set or recess, 57, for the purpose of permitting sufficient retraction of either of the sliding looks or plungers 9, as they are brought in succession to their rearmost position, to enable them to be taken from the breech ot'the gun. When the plungers are taken out the guiding-bars 7, between which they work, may be removed from the casing, so asto completely unlimber the. gun in a short time, or for the purpose of repairing the same. The arms 37, projecting backward from the hopper-valves 38, are made to spring over the lugs 58 on the sliding locks or plungers, bywhich said valvesare retracted, so that the said parts will automatically engage together, when they are replaced in-position, after having been removed, as above described. 59 are lugs on the sliding locks or plungers to advance the valves to their forward position.

The hopper is hinged at one side, as shown at 60, and secured at the other side by a latch or catch, 61, so that it may be turned over from the breech of the gun, when desired, to expose the-breech-chambers.

Many of the details of the gun may be constructed substantially as described in an other application, in which I have shown and claimed. a machine-gun having a series of barrels arranged in a horizontal plane, and a series of sliding looks or plungers operated by a cam-cylinderrevolving on an axis transverse to the barrels, instead of parallel there with, as in the present application.

The following is claimed as new 1. The combination of a set or series of barrels, arranged in the arc of a cylinder, at corresponding set of valves for supplying cartridges to said barrels from a hopper, a revolving cam-cylinder and a set of reciprocating plungers for transmitting motion from the cam-cylinder to operate the valves and to load the barrels, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The recess 57 in the cam-groove 19 to permit the retracting of the plungers to a point which enables their removal, as described.

3. The adjustable hopper-front for adapting the hopper-throats to suit blank cartridges, as described.

4. The hopper-floor, adjustable to suit blank cartridges, as described.

-JAMES PATTON TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

OCTAVIUS KNIGHT, CHAS. J. Gooon. 

